In one of the few bright spots for Ohio Democrats on the federal level in the 2024 election, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes won her bid for a second term in congress, according to unofficial results, topping Republican challenger Kevin Coughlin with 51% percent of the vote.
Bill Rich, the chair of the Summit County Board of Elections, said the delay was due to 9,000 absentee ballots being turned in on Tuesday.
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Though the race had not been called, Sykes took the stage at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday to thank supporters for sticking around at her watch party at the Knight Stage in Downtown Akron.
She recalled hearing doubt that she could win the competitive district when she first ran back in 2022, defeating Republican Madison Gesiotto Gilbert.
“What they did not realize is that I had people, like all of you, who are willing to stay all night after working all day to make sure we get over the finish line," Sykes said.
The 13th district covers all of Summit County, the northern portion of Stark County and parts of Portage County. It was considered one of the most competitive Congressional races, leaning Democratic, according to the Cook Political Report.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible support I received from people in Ohio's 13th Congressional District during the campaign and throughout my first term in Congress," Sykes said in a statement Wednesday. "Our district is the birthplace of champions, not just because of the famous people who grew up here but because of the people I meet everyday who make our communities great."
In a statement released Wednesday morning, Coughlin congratulated Sykes on her re-election.
“While the result is not what we had hoped for, the values that drove this campaign – safety, security, and affordability – will still motivate us to create change. Ohio's 13th is a special place, and we deserve leadership who will put us first. I am beyond grateful for the family, friends, supporters, and voters who stood by our side. Our fight has only just begun!” Coughlin wrote.
Sykes still awaits a tie-breaking decision on whether an 11th hour challenge to her residency will proceed.
A political activist challenged her residency in the days before the election on grounds that her husband, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce, had listed Sykes as a member of his household in Columbus. Sykes called the allegation that she doesn’t maintain residence in Akron “a deeply offensive lie.”
The Summit County Board of Elections tied 2-2 along party lines on Oct. 24 on whether the challenge should be taken up. Board members had 14 days to deliver details of its disagreement to Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who then, the law states, “shall summarily decide the question.”
This past term was the first time the 13th district included all of Akron. Before maps were redrawn in 2022, the city had been split up into four different Congressional districts.
In the campaign, Sykes touted federal grants she secured for the district, including funding for major transportation and construction projects in Akron and water quality projects in Canton.
“As I said when I was elected to Congress the first time, we’re all going to Washington. I’m going to continue to use my voice to speak up for all of us as I work to lower costs, improve public safety, protect reproductive freedom, and preserve Social Security and Medicare," Sykes wrote in the Wednesday release. "There are many important issues to tackle in the new Congress and I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle to find practical solutions to the problems impacting families across Northeast Ohio. Thank you for placing your trust in me for another term.”
Both candidates focused their campaigns on economic issues.
Sykes wants to advocate for the restoration of the child tax credit and other tax credits as part of the Lower Your Taxes Act, she said.
“It expands earned income tax credit. It reinstates the child tax credit, which reduced child poverty in half when it was fully implemented in six months,” Sykes said.
Coughlin campaigned on fiscal responsibility, calling for a balancing of the federal budget and more oversight of federal agencies.
“Primarily where Congress can help is get control of federal spending, start doing proper budgets, start erasing the annual deficit, stop printing money,” Coughlin said.
Sykes also focused on protecting reproductive rights. She would like to codify the right to abortion and expand access to contraception, she said.
When asked if he would support a national abortion ban, Coughlin said he would not, although he personally opposes abortion.
Both candidates also addressed immigration on the campaign trail.
Coughlin said he wanted to crack down on illegal immigration. He supports the Migrant Protection Program – known colloquially as Remain in Mexico – implemented under the Trump administration that required migrants to remain in Mexico until their U.S. immigration court date.
The immigration system has been broken for years, Sykes said. She supported a sweeping bipartisan border bill that Republicans voted down earlier this year.
Sykes was born and raised in Akron. She previously served four two-year terms in the Ohio House, working her way up to House Minority Leader. As Congresswoman, she serves on the Committees of Transportation and Infrastructure as well as Science, Space and Technology.
Coughlin, a former state legislator and Stow Municipal Court clerk, resides in Bath.
